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Lilli Waters and Jake Cole

Homes

Today we visit the home of photographic artist Lilli Waters and her husband Jake Cole, a musician, in Pascoe Vale in Melbourne’s North.

The house-proud couple have been living in their much loved two bedroom art deco house for around 18 months. Together, they’ve created a warm, eclectic, multi-layered home which speaks to their many passions – art and photography, music, food, friends and pets!

 

 

 

8th February, 2017

A rug from Ishka behind vintage pots and bowls foraged from op shops and garage sales.  Photo – Eve Wilson. Production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

Pot and stool by Pop & Scott in front of framed print from Lilli’s ‘Discolour’d ~ Floral Games’ photographic series. Photo – Eve Wilson. Production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

The painting of Jacob by friend Wynona Miller, gifted by Lilli as for their wedding is one of her most loved possessions. Also in the room, hanging rug from Ishka, rug from IKEA, and vintage print, pots and bowls from assorted op shops and garage sales. Photo – Eve Wilson. Production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

Charlie (the cat) loves the vintage velvet couch, which was a hand-me-down from a past share house. The coffee table was made by Kim Moir and the bookshelf once belonged to Lilli’s grandmother. Prints by Lilli, yellow cushion from op shop, with orange cushion from Pop & Scott. Photo – Eve Wilson. Production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

Framed prints from the Lilli’s ‘Anja’ photographic series above Hans Hayson mid-century sideboard from Gumtree, with pots from Mr Kitly and other assorted nurseries. Photo – Eve Wilson. Production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

Lilli and her husband Jake at home in their kitchen. The assorted vintage retro tins, jars, and bottles are from garage sales and op shops, while the iron teapot was a wedding gift. Photo – Eve Wilson. Production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

View from lounge into the dining room of Lilli and Jake’s Pascoe Vale home. The vintage poppy painting is cherished as it was salvaged from an op shop and repaired, pictured with rug from IKEA, and macramé plant hangers from Etsy. Photo – Eve Wilson. Production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

The dining table was made by Lilli’s uncle Kim Moir, while the succulent pot is from Anchor Ceramics and rug from IKEA. The large, Iceland landscape photograph was shot by Lilli on film, and the cactus print is by friend Sarah Hendy. Photo – Eve Wilson. Production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

A vintage 1960’s print ‘Saw Ohn Nyun’ by Sir Gerard Kelly from Smith St Bazaar, mirror from The Junk Co., dining table made by Lilli’s Uncle Kim Moir, Danish Sideboard from Gumtree, and assorted glassware hand me downs from Lilli’s Grandmother and from The Junk Co. Jake’s assorted guitar collection on rack, including a custom-made Maton guitar gifted as a birthday present from Lilli. Photo – Eve Wilson. Production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

The kitchen features an Australian landscape painting from a garage sale and 1950’s Formica table and chairs from Gumtree. Photo – Eve Wilson. Production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

 

Vintage side tables from The Junk Co and lamps handed down from Lilli’s grandmother are featured in the master bedroom. Framed print from Lilli’s ‘Pistil ~ Floral Seduction’ series, linen by I Love Linen, mud-cloth throw from Pan After, green cushion by Pop & Scott, yellow cushion from op shop, and vintage macrame plant hanger from Etsy. Photo – Eve Wilson. Production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

Lucy Feagins
Wednesday 8th February 2017

‘We are renting, but we love spending time on making our home a beautiful and warm place to come home to, where we can grow things in our garden, create & make music.’

The Pascoe Vale home of photographic artist Lilli Waters and her husband Jake Cole, a musician, is full of character and creative energy.  Here, amongst a jungle of luscious indoor plants and a seriously impressive collection of op-shop treasure, Lilli’s haunting photographic artworks adorn the walls, alongside artworks and handcrafted objects by creative family and friends. Lilli also has a home studio here, whilst Jake’s ever-expanding guitar and amp collection slowly commands more floorspace!

‘The deal was when we moved in, that I got the second bedroom as my studio, and poor Jake got the linen cupboard for his giant collection of guitar pedals’ Lilli explains. ‘He loves that cupboard, it’s like his man den, or in his case, man cupboard’.

The pair previously lived in nearby Brunswick West, and were initially a little nervous about venturing into a new suburb. ‘We looked at so many houses in the area, and this one was the only one we loved’ recalls Lilli. ‘I remember after a weekend of house inspections, feeling so depressed at the falling apart shacks we had seen, we sent an email to the real estate on a Sunday basically begging for them to accept us, and they did!’. The pair wasted no time in making their new surroundings feel like home, establishing a veggie garden, and decorating with a varied mix of furniture, textiles and art.

‘You will probably be able to tell that I am quite the collector, and a bit of an op-shop nut’ Lilli confesses. ‘I’ve been collecting old stuff for about 15 years now, which is strange, because my parents were both op-shop home reno addicts and I used to hate op shops when I was a kid, I’d sit in the Kingswood bored out of my brain, but I guess it washed off!’

Lilli and Jake are also big collectors of local artwork, and have amassed a huge collection of paintings and photographs by talented family and friends. Amongst these are artworks by Lilli’s sister Camille Moir Smith of Carpenter’s Daughter, her mother Mali Moir’s botanical paintings, as well as paintings and prints by Bobby Clarke, Sarah Hendy & Lisa Sorgini to name a few. Alongside these much loved pieces are a few restored artworks too, including a sad poppy painting that was torn and left abandoned in a secondhand hand shop, but which Lilli rescued and had restored. ‘It’s as good as new!’ Lilli says! ‘I love finding old things and giving them life again… it reminds me of how something abandoned and broken can always be fixed and loved again.’

Lilli and Jake love coming home to their house, and feel it is a a space which really nurtures both of their creative spirits. ‘I’m very much drawn to the organic feel of this house’ Lilli muses. ‘It has such a warm feeling, and makes you feel safe and at home as soon as you walk in the door’.

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The Design Files acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we work, the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respects to Elders past and present.

First Nations artists, designers, makers, and creative business owners are encouraged to submit their projects for coverage on The Design Files. Please email bea@thedesignfiles.net